My Year In Review

It is New Year's Eve and for the third year in a row, it's not shaping up to be the best. I am spending it here in Minnesota with my mom and grandparents, the three most important people in the world to me, so it makes sense I would be with them. Anyway, they are talking in the dining room and initially I was just browsing online a little, checking out different school districts I might like to teach in, and of course I started reading the 'year in review' thing on MSN about different events that had happened over the last year, duh. My own past year has been pretty eventful, and not always for the best, but at least my life is interesting, which is more than I can say for some people, who give a minute by minute account of their daily crap in their blogs. I try not to do that unless it is actually worth mentioning, but some people, seriously, come on. I thought this might be fun though, a few days ago Britt and I were reminiscing about how we care too much about the future now, and gone are the days of the two college sophomores who would sit by the fountain and just talk (remind me later to tell the story about the time I pretended to be deaf), or the girls who would order pizza their last night in Selleck and sit out on the catwalk, throwing rocks at windows, basically, the girls who didn't care what anyone thought, ever. I used to be one of those girls and something happened to really change who I am. People would be surprised to find I am far different now than I used to be. But that is a story for another time and place. This is what matters right now, my 2005 Year In Review.

January
Not too shabby at all. I turned 22 and had two different events commemorating the special occasion. The first was hitting the bars with a bunch of friends, including Silas. If you recall, this was also the night Crazy Rachel freaked out and accused Silas and I of messing around. How I miss her crazy outbursts...I also had dinner with a bunch of friends the following evening, mostly those who were not yet 21. Teetz hauled ass back from his weather conference in California to make it and he got there just in time. The things that boy does for me, I am lucky I have such amazing friends - also, ones who don't resemble land masses or animals of any kind. Even though I didn't get to see him before he left for training, Adam also called to wish me a happy birthday - a tremendous feat for him, as Adam previously was unable to remember any date remotely important to me, ever.

February
A pretty low-key month, not a whole lot going on. All I really remember was being very nervous about having to sing in my music methods class, and my instructor said I could just hand in my lesson plan to her after class and then sing at that time as well. This led to her offering to give me voice lessons, and finding out I actually had a very nice voice after all. I really want to take singing lessons again, it was so much fun.

March
As always, I am pretty non-existent during this month, because it is March Madness! Duke didn't go as far as we'd thought, but it was a great season anyway. Spring Break was spent at home, and Britt and I vowed once again that the next Spring Break, we'd actually do something and go somewhere.

April
The best memory I have from April was that Jake had a party after one of the baseball games. Melissa didn't know he went to the game with Teetz and I, which made it that much better. Teetz and I were absolutely FRIED, but seeing Jesse Boyer and Alex Gordon in baseball pants was worth it - for me anyway, not so much for Teetz or Jake. At the party we played Spin The Bottle, and the first time Teetz spun and landed on me, I was in the middle of protesting how I couldn't kiss him and he just leaned over and planted one right on the lips. This was also the night I yelled at one of my former (now not so former again) friends and told him I never wanted to see him again. (Hey, I am working on the forgiveness thing, it is a slow process).

May
Well, this was supposed to be a great idea - I moved out of the dorms for the last time and into an apartment with two roommates everything was fine for the time, but we'll get to that later in the year. This is also the month I met Drake, though not til almost the very end. And 'met' is also a very loose term as well - he'd been sleeping on the futon for a good part of the month and I'd talked to him occasionally, but you know how I am with new people - and if you really want to be technical about it, he and I really truly met for the first in October of 2004, then again in March of 2005. Neither of us remember the other very clearly however, so I guess third time really was the charm. I also started working at Office Depot, which wasn't so bad to begin with.

June
Drake and I started dating in June, and Teetz and I were going to tons of baseball games. The Huskers went to the College World Series, but unfortunately did not win it all. That's okay though, because after we beat Creighton in the finals of the Super Regional, I got a picture with Jesse Boyer, a photo which was blown up to an 8X10 and is hanging in my room. Adam left for Iraq this month, which is one of the most difficult good-byes I have ever had to say, because I didn't know if it was for good, or just a little while. I hate thinking like that when I have been drinking - he called me while I was at the bars with Kayleen, Drake, Teetz, Britt, JohnRoss and random others. But it was thoughtful, and he's really seemed to have gotten this 'Call Sarah' thing down to an art, as we talked a few times, first while he was in training and then right before he left for the Middle East.

July
The greatest month of the whole year! Sort of. I MET GAVIN DEGRAW!!!!!! Teetz and I went to the concert and it was amazing. Afterward Gavin was singing autographs and I got a picture taken with him, which was also blown up to an 8X10 and is also hanging on one of my walls. I also got to meet Drake's parents for the first time when they came out to Lincoln, as well as more of his family aside from the aunts and uncles and cousins who already live in town.

August
I started my final semester as an undergrad at UNL. Student teaching was great from the start, though some of those teachers are the biggest gossips ever, it is ridiculous. Not much else that's newsworthy, just a lot of work and teaching.

September
Drake came home with me for Holden's third birthday and to meet my family. We crammed a lot into a very short amount of time, but he at least got to see my hometown and where I grew up and all that jazz. Also, lots of Husker football. I didn't get tickets because I figured I would be working every Saturday, but by this time I hated Office Depot so much, I had to take Saturdays off just to give myself a break because I was also working full time at the testing center. Drake and I managed to fight every single Saturday, at every single game. Not sure why, it just happened.

October
This time I went home with Drake to see his hometown and meet some of his friends, though I'd already met most of his family with the exception of one set of grandparents, who were the nicest people ever. Not much else happened, it was a good Halloween even though Drake dropped my camera on the floor in his drunken state.

November
I can not think of anything significant in this month - Drake was on duty for Thanksgiving so part of my break was actually spent in Cather, which wasn't nearly as awful as I thought it would be, dorm-wise. I just hate the dorms.

December
GRADUATION!!!!!!! By far, the most important thing that happened this month was me graduating, which was awesome. Adam, getting better and better at this calling thing, called at the perfect time, just as we were leaving Devaney after the ceremony. Again, thoughtful and not at all like him, though I think war generally makes you grow up fast, so I guess sin a way it is good for him. Then I went home for Christmas, Drake and I broke up for three days, then got back together, and now it is New Year's Eve and I am definitely ready for 2005 to be over. I've never been a fan of New Year's and anyone who has been around for the last three years can tell you why.

That's pretty much all for my year, some highs and lows, but all necessary in their own way. The best part about the end of the year is that it means my birthday is in a few weeks, so you can bet your ass I am going to start this year off right. However, turning 23 doesn't merit quite as big of a shin-dig, so says Mom, but who doesn't love going to the bars and getting free drinks? This girl loves it a lot, so I can't wait until then!

FRIENDS status: disc two of season 8 - Rachel has now told everyone she's pregnant, and that's pretty much the big deal right now

Days until my birthday: 16!!!!!!!

Happy New Year!